Who is Dahlonega's next mayor?

The race for the next mayor of Dahlonega is on. And a trio of candidates is now in the running to fill the soon-to-be vacant seat of current mayor Sam Norton once his term comes to a close at the end of the year. Those contenders, Casey Alexander, Doug Sherrill and JoAnne Taylor, recently took the time to answer a series of Nugget questions touching on everything from the state of the city to the the role of the City Marshal’s Office to the mandatory trash fee that has caused some controversy among downtown merchants. This is the first in a series of Nugget Q& A’s for candidates running for local offices as there will be a total of three contested races this year, including the election for the Post 3 City Council seat (William Ryan Reagin and Tammi J. Scales) and Lumpkin County Board of Commissioners Seat 1 (Tucker Greene and Mitchell Ridley). Early voting begins Oct. 12 and Election Day will be held November 2. Read on to meet Dahlonega’s current mayoral candidates.

MEET THE CANDIDATES

Casey Alexander is originally from Indiana and has been a resident of Dahlonega for 17 years. She and her husband Steve have been married for almost 30 years and have four children, including one that is currently serving in the Navy. Alexander is currently employed with Bellamy Student Apartments of Dahlonega.

Doug Sherrill is a pastor, an educator and a small business owner. He and his wife Lori have been married for 25 years and they have four children and they are active in ministry at Lighthouse Baptist Church in Dawsonville. Doug has previously served as Lumpkin County Surveyor and Lumpkin County Commissioner.

JoAnne Taylor and her husband have lived in Dahlonega since 2004. She has served as a community volunteer for local charitable organizations, development authorities, and since 2015 as a school mentor. She stepped down from her seat on the City Council this year in order to run for mayor.
She is retired from her position as an IBM Global VP, where she consulted with clients in Telecomm and Utilities industries about their business challenges.

Q: What's the biggest challenge facing Dahlonega right now? How should it be addressed?

Alexander: In chatting with residents of Dahlonega, the one constant I hear is how difficult it is for people to open and maintain businesses, with obstacles ranging from archaic ordinances to city personnel. This, in turn, affects one of the city’s top streams of revenue, which is sales tax. This challenge needs to be evaluated. A review needs to be done on the roadblocks that are hindering businesses. Let’s update the ones that need to be and get rid of the others that don’t work in the best interest of the city and its residents. Increase business – increase revenue.  

Sherrill: The biggest challenge facing Dahlonega is the stifling regulations that limit economic growth. We have a wonderful opportunity to promote new business on and around the square and need to capitalize on it. However, when regulations require asking businesses on the square to provide items like parking studies or finding ways to rent parking, we burden businesses with issues they cannot adequately address themselves. We should also include waiving permit fees during times of crisis instead of adding fees to businesses when they can least afford it. We must update our regulations to allow businesses to thrive.

Taylor: Preservation of our community’s way of life is a big challenge since growth is inevitably coming our way. As your next mayor, I am committed to continuing and growing those things that contribute to Dahlonega’s unique “sense of place.”  I hear from our community daily that they want Dahlonega to be a place where they can raise and provide for their families in a safe, clean environment. The City’s role needs to support business and residents through promptness and ease of process while not being burden to taxpayers. I’m committed to listening and working together to keep this one of the best communities in the state!

Q: What is your opinion on the mandatory waste management fee that has recently resulted in complaints from some local merchants?

Alexander: Regarding the mandatory waste management fee that became effective October of 2020, it’s a frustrating situation for the city and businesses. The city has had to bear the brunt of expense for maintaining the Hancock Park dumpster area and the receptacles around town for a number of years. Any time a new fee is added to someone’s bill, especially one that they don’t think applies to them, it’s frustrating. It stinks for the businesses that don’t produce waste, however, they can file for an exemption. This fee can always be evaluated later to make sure everyone’s paying their fair share.  
        
Sherrill: What horrible timing this fee(tax) has been during a pandemic. It is unacceptable for local governments to add fees and costs when our local businesses are struggling just to pay their rent as business slowed. As the economy improves it takes time to gain back the losses. It’s not instant recovery for our businesses. The merits of the fee are understandable and it is important that city government have an equitable share in costs. However, we must be mindful of when we do these things and educate the entities who will be paying such taxes.

Taylor: All residents of the city are required to pay for solid waste services. Data research revealed that there were differences among the charges that businesses were paying. Many were paying nothing; others were being overcharged. Taxpaying citizens should not be subsidizing businesses. A standard fee is the fairest way to go and provides for: emptying of the city dumpsters daily; emptying of all public trash receptacles three times a week; pickup from businesses that want that service; providing extra cleanup service during festivals and events; and keeping our public areas attractive.

Q: What do you see as the future role of the City Marshal's Office? If elected would you push for that role to expand or decrease?

Alexander: I see the future role of the City Marshal’s Office as being the primary department responsible for public safety in the city of Dahlonega. Lumpkin County is roughly 300 square miles, while the city is only nine square miles. A small team could help ease the burden on Sheriff Jarrard and his staff in the city. As Mayor, I would push for the role to eventually be expanded, especially as our population continues to grow. Maintaining a balance between the operating revenue and expenses will be imperative, making sure excessive tickets aren’t being issued while still contributing to the budget.

Sherrill: City law enforcement is essential. The question is, who should manage it? City residents currently pay county tax for law enforcement via the sheriff. This means city residents are being double taxed, which IS a duplication of services and requires a service delivery negotiation between county and city. Until we negotiate with the county and eliminate that tax, we should not have an independent police force that costs taxpayers $600,000 annually. Otherwise, I trust the sheriff to manage and handle ALL law enforcement within the city. The city has yet to prove its ability to manage a police force.

Taylor: Public Safety is a great responsibility and as your Mayor it will be foremost in my mind. The Marshal’s Office was developed as a collaborative effort with the Sheriff with a focus on coordinating law enforcement for our downtown area. The daily population of Dahlonega when students are in town is about 15,000, not including the many tourists. Public Safety needs of our community are being impacted by growth. I am committed to address law enforcement needs of the City by continuing to work closely with our Sheriff and the University in addressing the ever changing needs of our community.